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Coldy cold.

This summer has been recordbreakingly hot, but somehow I managed to come down with a terrible cold. I've been sick for a week, coughing, sneezing and waking up at night with a sore throat. I also lost my voice! The bright side? My friend sent me her recipe for a Hot Toddy, and Alex mixed one up last night. It was delicious. Have you ever had one?

Ohh you poor thing! Hope you'll feel better soon. The hot toddy sounds awesome. We usually make hot green tea with tons of honey, a bit of lemon and fresh mint when we are under the weather. Kisses and have a relaxing afternoon:) xo

I've also been fighting a cold and I think they're even worse in summer-- it feels too out of place. But I love the drink idea! I've been having lots of tea and treating myself to endless episodes of my favorite shows (Parks and Recreation, at the moment). Good luck!

Summer colds are the worst! Have you tried Trader Vics hot buttered rum batter? Yum! When I am sick my must have is Vietnamese pho soup. For some reason it clears the sinuses, comforts the soul, and I swear has magical healing powers. Give it a try.

I've been sick for almost 2 weeks too. It started on my first day of vacation, and I've been wheezing and coughing ever since. Not fun at all. I'm going to try this one. I usually suck on a spoon of honey (that helps sometimes) or drink hot orange juice (sounds bad but it works!). Get well soon :)

Before I knew the actual recipe and rules of a hot toddy, I made the mistake of taking one before a production of a show I was in (I also thought you were supposed to fill the glass with brandy). According to the audience, my performance sure was...animated?

Becca

PS. Turns out you should take it the night before a performance. Lesson learned!

I prefer amaretto in mine! I was out one time and starting to feel a bit under the weather, so I asked at the bar for a cup of hot tea and a shot of amaretto. To the bartender's amazement, I poured the shot into my hot tea and drank it right there!

Yes I have had a 'hot toddy', but I don't think mine was traditional. I had blackberry brandy in mine...Knocked the cold right out of me!!! And knocked me out in the process. Talk about SLEEP!!! ^_^ But I felt great when I got up!

Sick sucks, especially during the summer. The photo of you reminds me of your blog title, besides the fact it is not a cup of Joe. A little late, but I really enjoyed the breast feeding post.Get well soon!

Oh no! Feel better - I love potions when I'm not feeling well. In fact, I've been suffering intolerable allergies, so much in fact that I'm seeing an allergist on Friday and I'm forbidden to take any antihistimines until then - which leaves me miserable! Maybe this will provide some relief!!

if i ever feel a sore throat coming on, the first thing i do is take a shot of something strong & clear (usually vodka will do it). if you catch it early enough, the alcohol kills the throat germs & stops your sore throat cold! (no pun intended haha) - at least, i believe that's how it works :) but a hot toddy seems like a great solution once your cold's in full swing... hot toddy, and to bed with you!

I am the biggest wuss in the world when it comes to colds...I've had two babies with no pain relief, but I'm still absolutely floored by the common cold. So I've done a bit of research...and the Meg scientific studes have so far revealed that spice is the best way to cure a cold. Apparently people in Indan also highly regard the medicinal properties of spices. I would like to see I lovingly crafted a homemade curry paste from freshly toasted, organic ingredients, but actually I usually have tortilla chips and a tub of fresh salsa. It kinda clears out the sinuses and warms yer throat and I probably just get a bit high from all the fat content :) But hey, it works. Oh, and zinc lozenges. Get well!

You're gonna love this one...so when I have a cold, the worst thing is the stuffiness for me. And you know you're still stuffy for a week or so after your cold....so my remedy for that is going out for sushi and making sure to eat a lot of wasabi! It's a great kick to clear our your sinuses (and it's the most delish).

I teach Pilates, so I am constantly talking for hours a day... and by constant, I mean I just about literally don't shut up! I want each person to get the fullest out of the class. (When I teach I don't do the class, I tell you what to do.) So when cold season comes, and my voice starts to disappear, I just can't have it.

My solution: half a shot of Jack Daniels and a spoonful of honey in my Licorice tea (no it doesn't taste like those licorice jellybeans, it is in fact delicious and known for soothing your throat)! I have been told that I should use lemon juice too, but the concoction is already interesting enough and works. I still get a kick out of the fact that it is socially acceptable to put bourbon in your drink when you are sick haha

Hello Joanna, I just love your blog so much! I read it daily, your posts are always so clever! Sorry to hear that you have been sick, but I just have to know, where did you get your glasses?! They look great and I have been hunting for new eyelgasses for awhile; yours look exactly like what I have envisioned!

Thank you!

And by the way your baby son is beyond adorable! I loved those playground swing set photos you posted the other day!

I love your glasses... and your watch... and your top.. and your mug... and your chair... and your bookshelves... Leave it to you to be tres chic even when you're feeling under the weather, Jo. I hope you feel better! <3

instead of the tbsp of lemon juice, i like to add a wedge of an actual lemon and then a cinnamon stick as a stir stick. i like my drinks to be interactive - so I just keep stirring around/muddling the lemon wedge and the cinnamon/lemon flavor slowly becomes stronger as the drink disappears! mmmmmmm m m, MN is actually chilly today . . . maybe a hot toddy is in my near future :) feel better soon . . . or keep drinking, that should help too!

You need to add cloves to that toddy, and 2 slices of apple, it really gives it a nice added sweetness and the aroma of the cloves helps open the nasal passage. Its a old family recipe from Ireland and It works. I love to hang in my Pjs and have a hot bowl of consomme soup and watch old movies . The best cold remedy for me. Feel better.

I love love love hot toddy's. Here's my recipe. It's similar to yours but you add in a slice of fresh ginger. It really helps the sore throat. (http://acollectionofpassions.blogspot.com/2010/02/kacies-hot-toddy_24.html)

When you can't have the booze do a mix of boiling water, lemon juice, freshly sliced or grated ginger, honey and a tiny pinch of cayenne.

As a teacher, I often don't have the option of staying home when it's "just a cold." (That is a common mantra for the few, the proud, the mighty of us.)

Wish I could have a hot toddy with my first graders (and NOT just when I'm sick), but when I can't self-medicate with alcohol, I self-medicate with Traditional Medicinals Gypsy Cold Care tea. All sorts of yumminess, from peppermint to licorice. Love!

Hope will make you smile and feel better (I've also have kind of cold and running nose - but it's my fault, should have worn scarf on face while being on european largest free music festival Woodstock Stop in Poland - too much dust)

Dare I say "lucky you"? I would totally be ok to have a cold right now if it meant having some warm weather. We're having a record breaking cold summer in Paris! Everyone here is feeling very 'blah'. Hope you feel better soon with Alex's magic potion. xx

In my hometown there is a cocoa powder you add to milk called TODY and it's very popular, so I thought you were having a hot chocolate beverage!PS: I read the recipe twice looking for the amount of Tody ;)

That's how I make my hot toddy, except that I add a tea bag (decaf if it's just pre-bedtime). I love nothing more than homemade chicken soup when I'm sick (or even better, homemade hot and sour soup, with lots of lemongrass!). I always keep chicken stock in my freezer. Feel better! (p.s. are those Spex Club glasses?)

UGH! I am just getting over the summer cold that is going around (apparently it travelled from NY to Seattle!). I love Ms. Gras' soup boxes when I'm sick. It's basically water and seasoning with little noodles and if you are alone all day it's easy to make which is the best.

A cool mist humidifier with California Baby cold and flu essential oil dropped in the water- works for my daughter so I tried it too! All of CA baby cold and flu line is super comforting (mist, bubble bath and massage oil)But if all else fails - nyquil!

You're on the right track:) I like hot water with lemon juice and honey (the added whiskey=bonus!). Also, a glass of Coca-cola filled with ice, and chicken soup (homemade if you can get it.) For some reason, laying on the couch instead of the bed also helps me with my recuperation.

my bf's dad introduced Hot Toddy's to me! when visiting him in Hungary, I was a little under the weather and when he gave me this amazing concoction, i felt soo warm and cozy on the inside. i think i had like 5 in the matter of a few days. yummy!!!

hot toddys are pretty amazing but i literally just read yesterday that they are one of the worst things you can drink when you have a cold! a doctor answered all these wives tales and that was the one he was most adamant about. because alcohol actually dehydrates you and lowers your immunity, i think he said.shame, cause they really do warm you up haha!

Ugh, summer colds are the worst! I had one over the 4th of July holiday and it was no fun. Hope you feel better soon! Hot tea with lemon usually helps me feel better, but next time I'll have to try that Hot Toddy recipe. ;)

I hope you feel better. Summer colds are the worst. When I get a cold or sore throat I simmer somel cut up apples, lemons and ginger with a cinnamon stick. It always helps. I have always wanted to try a hot toddy. We never have bourbon in the house. I am going to get a bottle to have on hand for the winter. Feel better love!

feel better lady...i love hot toddy's on new year's eve...keeps me warm and tipsy...raw garlic works wonders cut some up and top off a tuna sandwich or any sandwich for that matter...good luck getting better!

Hot chocolate with 2 shots of blackberry brandy (never to taste if you have a cold). Years ago, I had a bad cold. I kept adding brandy because I couldn't taste the blackberry flavor. Standing at the kitchen counter, I felt woozy like a bit of a buzz. Well, 3 parts brandy and 1 part hot chocolate will do that to you. I did feel better though. lol

As a Scot like Clare I can vouch for the addition of cloves. My mum used to make these for me as a kid when I couldn't sleep, but with whiskey and without lemon. Unsurprisingly it always knocked me out cold!

I like to mix the hot water and sugar and give the lemon slice a little squeeze to get the juices going and before I drop it in I shove the cloves into the meat of the lemon, keeps them from interrupting you while partake of this wonderful drink!

Despite the outdoor heat, try a hot bath filled with epsom salts and eucalyptus oil. Drink a huge glass of cold water with lemon while in the bath. If you do not have a tub, you can use a little eucalyptus oil in a steamy shower. This should ease symptoms and encourage healing sleep. Feel better!

An addition to my previous comment: wrap a few olive-oil rubbed bulbs of garlic with the tops cut off in foil and roast them in the oven until they are soft (400 degrees for about an hr). Unwrap the bulbs,let them cool, pop out all of the cloves into a bowl, then eat the mellowed garlic cloves on everything (my fave: spread them on some good toasted bread, with fig jam, and blue cheese for fast bruschetta.) Garlic is great for fighting infection.

Ugh I feel you I am sick as well. We were on vacation for 3 weeks and as soon as we got to Bali (where I wanted to go) I got sick and now 2 weeks later I am just starting to get over it. I was SO SICK the entire time in Bali wahhh and now my husband and son have it.

I have never had one of those drinks but I am from the South and they give whiskey to kids with toothaches lol.

I had a bit of a cold this summer too! It was was weird, it came from no where, I didn't know anyone that was sick and no one living in my house hold caught it from me. I'm beginning to wonder if it were allergies.

Oh dear, I hope you feel better soon. My favorite under-the-weather tonic is a Japanese tea made from kukicha twigs (found at health food stores). So very healing and soothing, I always feel better as soon as I drink a full mug.

Yep. I could totally go for a Hot Toddy right now... not feeling yucky, just feeling exhausted which resulted in an under eye spasm, Awesome.I do hope you are feeling much better (does it help to hear that you look adorable in that photo?)

In regards to your update: I am so impressed at how put together you look even while sick! When I'm under the weather, you'll find me tucked away in an oversized hoodie and pajama pants— nothing close to the adorable dress you're wearing :) Hope you're back to 100%!

Thank you so much for this! I started a cold at the end of last week, after i saw this I tried it, IT WORKED LIKE A CHARM. I'm from the Dominican Republic maeby thats why I never heard of a Hot Toddy before. I'm very thank full for your post. It help me enjoy the weekend with my boyfriend. THANK YOU!

Love your blog, I've being reading it for 3 years now. Keep the good work. Love from a little island on the caribbean.

I love the warming spices of a white chai tea. The white tea leaves are delicate and don't give you the big burst of caffeine from a traditional chai. Add a bit of local honey and I'm smitten (and on the road to recovery). Although, now I will add a Hot Toddy to the mix.

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Our "secret" family chest cold cure is to take 1/2 shot of strong liquor (my brother likes crown royal, my Mom prefers cointreau, and I go with firefly vodka), drink a cup of tea (as hot as you can handle), then drink another 1/2 of a shot of strong liquor, repeat 1-2 time a day until you feel better. Works like a charm!